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BOSTON 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING COMPANY. STATE PRINTERS 

32 DERNE STREET 

1919 






Publication of this Document 

approved by the 
Supervisor of Administration. 



LIBRARY OF CONGF?ESS 

MAYU192I 



ilM V Mii l w mifc J l BS« Jtf- ^rJtXi 



EEFOEESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

The first bulletin issued from this department on the subject 
of reforestation was published in 1910 by R. S. Langdell, assist- 
ant to State Forester Rane. This bulletin becoming quickly- 
exhausted, a second edition with slight additions was offered 
in 1913. Only a few copies of the second edition now remain. 

The present edition is undertaken for the purpose of bringing 
our experience and practice up to date, after having observed 
during the last ten years the trees grown in experimental plan- 
tations and the effects produced by soil and location in differ- 
ent parts of the State. 

While experiments are still in progress we have come to pin 
our faith more and more to the cone-bearing species, to the 
elimination of deciduous trees. We must develop a forest that 
shall be as nearly as possible gypsy-moth proof, as well as 
immune to destructive disease. To this end we have recom- 
mended in the following pages only the trees that, up to the 
present time, have stood the test. 

Inasmuch as the average landowner is more interested in the 
actual reclaiming of the land than in nursery practice, less 
space has been devoted in the present bulletin to the forest 
nursery, and greater emphasis is placed on the handling of 
young trees in the plantation. To those wishing to establish 
a forest nursery we recommend government Bulletin No. 76, 
which may be obtained for a small sum by writing to the 
Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. The bul- 
letin in hand will give the general principles of this phase of 
the work, but is intended primarily for those who have pur- 
chased nursery stock from the Commonwealth, or from some 
of the many reliable nursery firms doing business throughout 
the State. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



SYLVICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TREES RECOMMENDED 
FOR PLANTING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

White Pine {Pinus strobus) . — This species is placed first, 
both because of its marked adaptabiHty to growth in this 
State and because of the universal demand for its lumber. It 
is but fair to say that the white pine blister rust offers some 
menace to clear plantations of this species, especially in Berk- 
shire and Essex counties; but by making mixed plantings, and 
by eradicating currant and gooseberry bushes in the vicinity, 
white pine may be relied on to do its part in the conquest of 
the waste-land problem. Even the two-needle pines suffer from 
another species of blister rust (the alternate host being sweet- 
fern), and the owner must expect to lose a few specimens of 
whatever species he may use through disease, insects, winter- 
killing or dry weather. The present system of planting pro- 
vides for more trees than are ultimately necessary on each 
acre of ground, as well as for thinning, both natural and arti- 
ficial. A plantation in which white pine represents the expecta- 
tion crop, but in which enough trees of other varieties have 
been planted to provide for any emergency, is, in our judgment, 
the practical and ideal undertaking.^ 

The white pine may be found growing in all sorts of situa- 
tions except in extremely wet soil. This does not mean that 
the tree grows equally well everywhere, for it undoubtedly pre- 
fers well-drained loamy sand, and there reaches its best de- 
velopment. Ideal conditions exist on the slopes and at the 
bottoms of old glacial deposits, so numerous all over the State. 

Reproduction is by seed, which is produced at intervals of 
from three to seven years, called "seed years." 

As regards size and rate of growth, white pine compares 
favorably with any of our eastern trees, and far exceeds most of 
them in these respects, reaching the best merchantable size in 
about fifty years. If left to grow undisturbed it reaches a size 
excelled only by trees of the Pacific coast, specimens having been 

I Many of our lumbermen and most of ovir nurserymen, from their observations and expe- 
rience, are still of the opinion that they will continue to plant white pine in pure stands as well 
as in mixed. Likewise, from correspondence and consultation with many of our leading plant 
pathologists and foresters as to diagnosing the future results of the white pine blister rust, the 
prevailing impression is that the presence of this disease does not warrant undue fear or exag- 
geration, or the abandonment of the white pine for reforestation purposes. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 5 

recorded that exceed 200 feet in height, with a diameter of 
6 feet, while heights of 100 feet, with 3-foot diameters, are not 
uncommon. 

The chief enemy of the pine forests in this State is fire, which, 
if it does not kill the trees, so weakens them as to render them 
liable to attack by several kinds of insects and fungi. The 
white pine is especially susceptible when young, even a slight 
ground fire being quite sufficient to completely kill it. 

The leading insect enemies are the white pine weevil and the 
pine aphis. The weevil attacks the main shoot, and in some 
cases greatly damages young trees up to the age of ten or 
twelve years. Infested shoots should be pruned and burned 
during the summer months. The aphis is a small sap-sucking 
insect, and seldom does permanent damage. A simple spray 
will easily control it in the event that it appears in large 
numbers on a small area or on individual trees. 

The gypsy moth, while it will eat pines as well as nearly 
every other kind of tree, does not invade pure stands containing 
pine alone. The brown-tail moth does not feed on pine. 

The many uses of white pine are well known. Among them 
may be mentioned building timber of all kinds, laths, cabinet 
material, interior finish, wood en ware, matches, flag poles, masts 
and boxes. 

Red or Norway Pine (Pinus resinosa) . — This tree, while com- 
mon in northern New England, is not very familiar to residents 
of Massachusetts. It does not grow in pure stands, but usu- 
ally in scattered groups with other conifers and hardwoods. 
The difficulty of collecting the seed in this locality renders the 
cost of raising the seedlings and transplants very high. Red 
pine, however, is a very excellent species, and compares favor- 
ably with white pine in many respects. It is more nearly im- 
mune from the blister rust of two-needle pines than any other 
member of that group, and represents a safe investment when 
planted in a favorable location. It prefers a dry sandy loam, 
outstripping the white pine on gravelly ridges, and will thrive 
in dry, rocky land. It should never be planted in the swamps 
or on poorly drained land. In rate of growth the red pine is 
more rapid than the white when young, though it is shorter- 
lived in the long run. It reaches a height of 70 to 80 feet. 



6 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

with trunk diameter of 2 to 3 feet, and in old age develops 
an open, round-topped, picturesque head. The wood is light, 
hard, close-grained, pale red, with thin yellow sapwood. The 
lumber is largely used in construction of bridges and buildings, 
and for piles, niasts and spars. For many purposes the lumber 
is mixed with that of white pine, and the two varieties are not 
distinguished. 

Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris). — The Scotch pine is the com- 
mon pine of northern Europe, occupying there the same place 
that the white pine does in this country as a timber tree. Its 
growth more resembles our red pine, both in quality of lumber 
and in the kind of soil preferred by the tree. In common with 
other pines, Scotch is not much subject to disease and insect 
attack, but is somewhat more sensitive to fire than red pine. 
Scotch pine is used for the same purposes as red pine. 

Atistrian Pine (Pinus Aiistriaca, Endl.) — The Austrian pine 
has been used successfully in this State in experimental plan- 
tations, and is recommended as a substitute for, or in mixture 
with, Scotch and red pine. It grows on a sandy soil and is a 
tree of very beautiful appearance, having long and heavy 
needles. It should not be used for underplanting except where 
the woods are open, or where heavy thinnings have been made. 

Hemlock (Tsuga americana). — The hemlock, one of the most 
tolerant (shade-enduring) of the American conifers, prefers cold 
north and east slopes of the hillsides. Because of its ability 
to thrive even in dense shade, it will grow as an understory 
with other species, evergreen or hardwood, or in pure stands 
in all stages of growth. 

The wood is being more and more used for building timber 
as the supply of other species grows scarcer, and some dealers 
prefer it to spruce for rough frame timbers. If care is not 
used in drying, it is likely to check. 

Nonvay Spruce {Picea excelsa) . — This is one of the principal 
timber trees of Europe, and is strongly recommended for plant- 
ing in this country, possessing, as it does, all of the advantages 
of our native red spruce, with the added one of being a much 
more rapid grower. Our experience is that Norway spruce 
suffers much less from winterkill than pine, and recovers re- 
markably after suppression by hardwoods. It is especially de- 




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REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 7 

sirable for underplanting in hardwood stands, a good combina- 
tion being spruce and hemlock. 

Red Spruce (Picea rubra) . — This tree is the timber spruce 
of the northeast, and is now the most important species in 
New England in size of cut. It will grow in northern Massa- 
chusetts on the higher elevations, preferably in mixture with 
pine and hemlock. It will grow in the shade of other trees for 
many years, and shows marked recuperative ability when sud- 
denly exposed to the light. 

Growth is not rapid, and large size is not reached by this 
species; but good straight timber is produced, which finds a 
ready market. The limbs persist, as in the case of white pine, 
and the best clear timber is grown in mixed stands. 

The tree reproduces itself well when the leaf litter on the 
ground is not too thick, and seedlings start readily under the 
mature trees of the same species, forming a stand containing 
trees of all ages. 

The uses of the w"ood are well known, — building timber, 
piano sounding-boards, inside finish, clapboards and pulp-wood. 

American Larch {Larix laricina) and European Larch (Larix 
decidua, Mill). — The American larch, also known as tamarack 
and hackmatack, is the only native deciduous conifer in Massa- 
chusetts. In winter, after the needles have been shed, it pre- 
sents the appearance of a dead tree. It bears little resemblance 
to any of our native conifers, but closely resembles the Euro- 
pean larch {Larix decidua, Mill), which may be distinguished 
by its larger cones, stouter twigs and more abundant leaves. 
The European larch is the more rapid grower, and will thrive 
in a less moist and less fertile soil than the native species. 
Larch should be planted in mixture with other trees, among 
which are recommended spruce, balsam, fir and hemlock. The 
principal uses are ship and boat timber, telegraph poles, fence 
posts and railroad ties. 

Balsam Fir {Abies balsamea). — This tree is of small com- 
mercial importance in Massachusetts, but is recommended for 
certain areas where other more valuable species are hard to 
propagate, notably in swampy land, and for use in underplant- 
ing. It is sometimes planted in mixture and thinned out later 
for Christmas trees. Tolerance and comparative freedom from 



8 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

insects and disease are arguments in its favor. Experimental 
plantations made by this department several years ago demon- 
strate that the balsam fir, like the Norway and red spruce, 
will hold out under a considerable amount of shade, and re- 
sume normal growth when released. 



THE FOREST NURSERY. 

The forest nursery represents the first step in the work of 
land reclamation. Seed-plots were at one time a favorite ex- 
periment among farmers and landowners, and plantations are 
in existence that were started in this way. But nature is 
prodigal in her waste of seed, and it was early discovered that 
by gathering and planting this waste seed in beds a high 
percentage could be germinated and brought to an age adapt- 
able to low-cost reforestation. A three-year or four-year trans- 
plant may be used in grass or brush land where seed would 
not have one chance in a thousand. 



Procuring the Seed. 

The cone-bearing trees differ from the hardwoods in the 
matter of bearing seed, usually devoting a few years to prepa- 
ration for a large crop. Our native white pine produces an 
abundant crop every five to seven years, and bears its seed 
in cones or burrs, which generally grow in clusters of twos or 
threes on the upper branches of the tree. There are two 
seeds at the base of each scale of the cone. 

All coniferous seed should be gathered from the trees before 
the cone-scales have opened. The cones should be spread out 
on a smooth floor in the sun, raked over from time to time, 
and finally flayed until the seed has been completely threshed 
out. This should then be cleaned by winnowing, and kept in 
bags in a cool dry place, out of the reach of birds and mice. 
If properly stored the seed in most cases retains its vitality for 
a number of years. 




Fia. 5. — Pine cones spread out to dry, in 
order that seed may be extracted. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 9 

Raising Transplants from Seed. 

Level or gently sloping well-drained land should be selected 
for a nursery, the soil being preferably a sandy loam, free from 
stones. Any length of bed is practicable, but the most con- 
venient width is 4 to 6 feet, w^ith walks 2 feet wide between 
the beds. The seed is planted in drills or broadcast, according 
to whether it is desired to leave the seedlings in the bed two 
years or three years before transplanting. The system that has 
proved most efficient in our nursery practice in Massachusetts 
is the construction of 12 by 4 foot beds, with a frame made of 
lath and fine-mesh chicken wire. The lath gives the young 
seedlings the proper proportion of light and shade, and the 
fine-mesh wire protects both seed and seedlings from mice and 
birds. A burlap cover is used for shading in place of leaves 
until the seed germinates and appears through the soil, at the 
end of which time the burlap may be removed for a portion 
of each day, and finally dispensed with, rolled up and stored 
for the following season. 

A bed 12 by 4 feet takes approximately three-quarters of a 
pound of seed and produces from 5,000 to 15,000 seedlings, 
according to the kind of seed used and the success with which 
they are germinated. Seed may be planted in April or May, 
but it is usually more convenient to wait until June, when the 
season for digging transplants is over and more time can be 
devoted to the work of seeding and care of the new crop. 

The seed germinates in about three wrecks' time and makes 
its first year's growth within a couple of months. The seed- 
lings are usually left in the original bed for two years, then 
transplanted into longer beds and spaced from 1^ to 2 inches 
apart to prevent crowding. They remain here for two years 
more, and are then ready for permanent planting on waste; 
land. 

A tree so planted is called a four-year transplant, and is the 
ideal tree for use in reforestation. In old pastures, where the 
grass is short and there is no great quantity of brush, the two- 
year seedling may be used with success. 



10 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

REFORESTATION. 

How Trees should be planted. 

Heeling in. 

When trees have been properly handled at the nursery they 
will arrive in good condition, packed in damp moss and tied 
in bundles of 25, 50 or 100, depending on the size and species. 
Scotch and Austrian pine are more bulky, as a rule, than 
white pine and spruce. The trees should be heeled in as soon 
as possible after their arrival. This requires the digging of a 
trench about 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep, and laid out as 
nearly as possible east and west. If only a few trees are in- 
volved in the shipment, and planting can be accomplished in 
a few hours' time, no trench will be necessary. It is advisable 
to first cover the roots with a light layer of earth, pour on a 
few pails of water, and then cover thoroughly with earth, 
leaving the tops exposed to light and air. Care should be 
taken not to cover any portion of the needles with earth, and 
in the event of dry M^eather the trees should be watered daily. 
A covering of burlap or paper will protect them from excessive 
heat, and will hold back the buds until the trees can be planted. 
One thousand trees require a trench about 12 feet long. 

Requirements for Planting. 

We have experimented with various kinds of planting in- 
struments, such as planting irons, bars, spades, etc., and find 
that the grub-hoe, or mattock, is the most practical instrument 
for all kinds of soil. Some of our foremen prefer the double- 
headed mattock, which on one side resembles an axe, and on 
the other an adz. The axe is used for cutting out a square 
hole in the sod or leaf-mold approximately 1 foot square, and 
the adz-like edge for lifting out the earth to a depth of 6 to 
8 inches. The average man prefers the single-bladed adz-like 
mattock, similar to the one shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The most 
efficient crew consists of two men, one to make the holes and 
the other to do the planting. The trees are carried in a pail, 
which should be kept about half full of a mixture of water and 




Fig. 7. — Two-man planting crew at work. 













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^^^te..c>ij^.>^- .via 

Fig. 8. — First^step in making tlie hole. 




Fig. 9. — Second step in making the hole. 













Fig. 10. — Setting the seedling and 
covering the roots. 



Fio. 11. — Firming the soil by pressure 
of the foot. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



11 



loam. The bundles should be untied before placing them in 
the pail. Sod should not be replaced, and each tree should be 
firmly set by pressing the earth about it with the foot. An 
experienced two-man crew can plant from 800 to 1,000 trees 
per day. 

Spacing. 

The best practice is to space the trees 6 feet apart each way. 
This method produces a tall, straight bole and prevents undue 
spreading. Flags may be set up at the end of the field as a 
guide to the crews, and moved over 6 feet as the end of the 
course is reached. 

On moist situations Norway spruce or balsam fir may be 
planted alternately with white pine. If the pine is set 6 by 
6 feet, and the fir or spruce set in the centers of the squares 
thus formed, the trees will be evenly spaced 3 feet apart. In 
from eight to ten years the fir and spruce will yield an inci- 
dental revenue if cut and sold as Christmas trees. It has the 
added advantage of rendering a plantation comparatively safe 
from any local disease or insect attack that may seriously de- 
plete any one of the species used. And in this connection it 
may be said that the forest planter would do well to use at 
least two species of trees, even in the 6-foot spacing. When 
planting pine the combination recommended is white pine, 
alternated with red, Scotch or Austrian pine. Spruce may be 
alternated with hemlock, tamarack or balsam fir. 



Number of Trees required per Acre. 



Spacing. 



Trees. 



3 by 3 feet, . 

4 by 4 feet, . 

5 by 5 feet, . 

6 by 6 feet, . 

7 by 7 feet, . 

8 by 8 feet, . 
10 by 10 feet, 

r 



4,840 

2,722 

1,742 

1,210 

888 

680 

435 



12 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



Time to plant. 

Planting should be undertaken as soon as the frost is out 
of the ground in the spring, the months of April and May 
being preferable, in order that the young roots may get started 
before the dry season sets in. Spring planting is preferable to 
fall planting, as the roots having started will not be as likely 
to be heaved out by the frost; although under certain con- 
ditions fall planting is sometimes resorted to, as in a case 
where a piece of land is too wet to work in the spring, but 
becomes dry during the summer and fall. The time for fall 
planting depends largely on the season. The months of Sep- 
tember and October are usually best in this State. 

Care of the Toung Plantation. 

An ideal plantation requires very little care until it is old 
enough to be thinned, which under ordinary conditions would 
be at about the twentieth year; but preparation against pos- 
sible disappointment and failure is as necessary in the matter 
of trees as in the raising of an agricultural crop, and weed-trees 
choke out a plantation in much the same way that witch- 
grass chokes out grain. 

With the exception of old fields, described on another page, 
waste land will, in a short space of time, develop hardwood 
sprouts of questionable value; and even the old fields will occa- 
sionally reproduce unexpected crops of gray birch and popple 
seedlings, to the great detriment of the planted pine. 

Most plantations must, therefore, be brushed over, in order 
that the young pine shall not be shaded out before it has 
"topped" the less valuable species growing around it. Nature 
has provided that, in the loiig run, the conifers will win in 
the struggle for supremacy, on account of longevity and gen- 
eral good health. But the struggle may last for centuries. The 
desired result can be obtained in less time through the medium 
of proper assistance on the part of man. The amount of cost 
will depend on whether the hardwood brush is simply lopped 
and left on the ground, or whether it is piled and burned. 
The latter is the better and safer method, but where the fire 
hazard is negligible the former is recommended. 




Fig. 12. — White pine transplants that were set in the open spaces among scrub oak 
following a forest fire. The small trees were four years old when set three years ago, 
and have grown on an average of from 1 to 2 feet each year during the past two years. 
They will undoubtedly overcome the oak. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 13 



Species most easily controlled. 

Gray birch and popple, while abundantly prolific, do not 
cast a dense shade. Where these trees persist, money can be 
saved by liberal use of the bush scythe on portions of the lot 
where these trees are abnormally thick. Scattered birch and 
popple in the young plantation will often do good by supplying 
a light shade during summer, by rubbing off the lateral branches 
of the pine, and by helping to develop a long, straight leading 
shoot. In many cases it is advantageous to go over the 
plantation with a pair of pruning shears, snipping only the 
lateral branches of the hardwoods that interfere with the top- 
most branches of the pine. This method saves expense and 
develops good pine lumber. 

Another species that may be classed under this head is oak, 
which, while it casts a very dense shade, is slow-growing and 
may be surpassed in height by the pine, provided the latter is 
given a reasonable amount of assistance. Where oak alone is 
involved, one thorough brushing will often meet the requirements, 
and the pine will gain the ascendency. The better grades of 
oak may be handled by "limbing up." Scrub oak is an inferior 
species and should be cut clean. Scrub oak following a fire 
may sometimes be crowded out in the course of time by planting 
the pine in the open spaces. This applies especially to certain 
portions of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. (See Fig. 12.) 

Species Difficult of Control. 

The trees most difficult of control in the young plantation 
are the chestnut and the soft maple, on account of their very 
rapid growth. The chestnut bark disease cannot be depended 
upon to kill off sufficient sprouts to protect the pine, as sprouts 
will continue to spring up so long as there is any life in the 
old stump. Maple is equally fast growing, has no destructive 
enemies, and casts a dense shade. Repeated brushing is the 
only protection for a pine plantation made among maple 
sprouts. 



14 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

Suggestion for making a Pine Plantation among Dense Hardwood 

Sprouts. 

When pine is greatly desired on land offering strong resist- 
ance by reason of its dense hardwood sprout growth, cuttings 
may be made about 12 to 15 feet apart, and the pines planted 
in these paths with the usual spacing. It is of course neces- 
sary to keep the area on which the pine is planted free from 
brush. In time a mixed stand will result, composed of pro- 
tected pine and the best specimens of the prevailing natural 
hardwoods, in parallel sections. The State Department of 
Forestry has not undertaken this practice on any large scale, 
but recommends it on the basis of experiments thus far made. 

Another good method which has been tried with success on 
several of our reforested lots is as follows: with a bush scythe 
or bill hook cut all hardwood sprouts around each pine over a 
space about 5 feet in diameter. This allows the pine to keep 
its main shoot free to the light, and results in a good mixed 
stand of pine and hardwood. 

Fire Lines. 

In event of undue fire hazard a good means of protection is 
to make a fire line around the plantation on the side where the 
greatest danger lies. This is done by cutting the brush and 
clearing the ground of all inflammable material on a strip about 
50 feet wide. Warning notices may be obtained by applica- 
tion to the State Forester. The fire line is not practicable 
unless it is kept clean, but when cared for it often proves a 
vantage point from which destructive fires approaching from a 
distant area may be turned back and ordinary brush fires may 
be easily managed. 

Types of Land Suitable for Reforestation. 

The total area of Massachusetts is about 5,321,787 acres, of 
which 2,672,950 acres is land adapted only to the growing of 
trees. Of this area there are about 700,000 acres which at the 
present time constitute practically worthless tracts, being simply 
a tax to the owners, who at a very small outlay could bring 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 15 

the land back into profitable forest growth, as well as add to 
the scenic beauty of the section. 

This land lies in tracts varying in size from one to thousands 
of acres. Practically every farm has a portion which at one 
time or another has been cut off, burnt over or allowed to 
lapse into a condition where it is no longer a source of rev- 
enue, — a piece of property which brings in no return, though 
it is still taxable. Lumbermen, mill owners, water-right com- 
panies and farmers all have some land which falls under one 
of the following types, and it is this sort of land which, fortu- 
nately, furnishes ideal conditions for forest planting. 

Cut-over Land. 

Undoubtedly every lumberman in the Commonwealth owns 
one or more tracts of land which he has cut off, but which has 
not come back into any profitable growth and wiiich gives no 
promise of a future crop. 

Where the land cut off was previously groicing pine it is not 
always advisable to reforest it the first or second season follow- 
ing, on account of the damage that is almost sure to result 
from the pine stump beetle (Hylohius pales) . This beetle breeds 
in the bark of recently cut pine stumps, but dies out as the 
bark decays. It chews the bark of young conifers, girdling and 
sometimes killing them, and damages the lateral branches of 
larger growth. 

Where the land cut off was premously groiving hardwoods it is 
advisable to reforest as soon as possible, as the sprout and hard- 
wood growths, if allowed to gain too great a headway, will hold 
the transplants in check, and expensive brushing will become 
necessary. In some cases hardwood sprouts are so persistent 
as to make reforestation a doubtful investment. Where doubt 
exists as to the advisability of planting such land, an applica- 
tion should be made to the State Forester for an examination. 

Burned Land. 

On land which has been subjected to repeated fires, destroy- 
ing the growth and ground cover, the soil is left free to the 
action of the weather, to be quickly dried out by the sun, or. 



16 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

if on a side hill, to be washed into the valley by rains. The 
seed or seedlings which may have been on the ground have 
been destroyed, and the land might lie for a long period of 
years before it would reseed itself naturally. Land of this 
type, therefore, should be set with considerable care, in order 
to obtain the best results. It is generally advisable to set a 
four-year-old transplant here rather than seedlings. 



Run-out Fields. 

Many of the farms throughout the State have been allowed 
to decline, and are growing up to brush, and undesirable hard- 
woods. Pasture lands especially are being encroached upon by 
some of our less valuable trees, such as chokecherry and gray 
birch, which so overshade the ground that good pasturage runs 
out, and the lot is abandoned for fields affording better forage. 
In many cases scattering white pines have crept in, and prob- 
ably in time would seed in the whole piece; but the advanced 
growth, while doing good work in reseed ing, would be of little 
value, as, growing so scattered, they would develop large lateral 
branches instead of giving a clear, straight bole so desirable in 
the best grade of lumber. If the lot could be set out with 
seedlings, and the trees allowed to grow in sufficiently dense 
stands, the lower branches would die off naturally, and smooth, 
clear lumber would be assured. 



Underplanting in Thinned Stands. 

Where woodland has been extensively thinned to eliminate 
undesirable species, or for the purpose of marketing the mature 
timber, underplanting is practicable and advisable. For this 
purpose a tolerant (shade-enduring) tree is necessary, and among 
the best species may be named the Norway spruce, the hem- 
lock, the tamarack and the balsam fir. They should be planted 
in the open spaces as much as possible, or in such a way that 
they may not grow into the branches of other trees. Other- 
wise they must be released in a few years' time by cutting the 
older growth, and damage will result from felling. 



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Fig. 13. — A thinned stand of hickory. Ready for underplanting 
with spruce or hemlock, or with pine in the more open spaces. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 17 



Reforestation Work done by the State. 

Under "An Act to provide for the purchase of forest land 
and for reforestation," passed by the Legislature of 1908, pro- 
vision is made whereby private landowners may deed tracts of 
land suitable for reforestation purposes to the State, to be 
planted and handled under practical forest management, such 
owners reserving the right to redeem the land at any time 
within ten years for the actual amount expended. Provision 
is also made for the distribution of seeds and seedlings at not 
less than cost to landowners who are citizens of the Common- 
wealth. 

The State has now acquired over 150 tracts of land under 
this act, comprising in all about 6,000 acres. The number of 
trees required in planting these areas, and in supplying the 
State institutions, the Metropolitan Water Board, the cities, 
the towns and the schools, has been so great that few, if any, 
liave been left over for the private landowner until the present 
year. During the spring of 1918, however, we distributed at 
cost more than 500,000 four-year transplants of white and Scotch 
pine to citizens in all parts of the State. The price charged for 
these trees was $7 per 1,000, representing the actual cost of 
raising them in our nurseries. 

Acts of 1908, Chapter 478. 
Reforestation Act. 

Section 1. For the purpose of experiment and illustration in forest 
management, and fbr the purposes specified in section five of this act, 
the sum of five thousand dollars may be expended in the year nineteen 
hundred and eight, and the sum of ten thousand dollars annually there- 
after, by the state forester, with the advice and consent of the governor 
and council, in purchasing lands situated within the commonwealth and 
adapted to forest production. The price of such land shall not exceed in 
any instance five dollars per acre, nor shall more than eighty acres be 
acquired in any one tract in any one year, except that a greater area may 
so be acquired if the land purchased directly affects a source or tributary 
of water supply in any city or town of the commonwealth. All lands 
acquired under the provisions of this act shall be conveyed to the common- 
wealth, and no lands shall be paid for, nor shall any moneys be expended 
in improvements thereon, until all instruments of conveyance and the 



18 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

title to be transferred thereby have been approved by the attorney- 
general, and until such instruments have been executed and recorded. 

Section 2. The owners of land purchased under this act, or their 
heirs and assigns, may repurchase the land from the commonwealth at 
any time within ten years after the purchase by the commonwealth, 
upon paying the price originally paid by the commonwealth, together 
with the amount expended in improvements and maintenance, with in- 
terest at the rate of four per cent per annum on the purchase price. The 
state forester, with the approval of the governor and council, may execute 
in behalf of the commonwealth such deeds of reconveyance as may be 
necessary under this section: provided, however, that there shall be in- 
cluded in such deeds a restriction requiring that trees cut from such 
property shall not be less than eight inches in diameter at the butt. 

Section 3. The state forester may in his discretion, but subject to 
the approval of the deed and title by the attorney-general as provided 
in section one, accept on behalf of the commonwealth gifts of land to be 
held and managed for the purpose hereinbefore expressed. A donor of 
such land may reserve the right to buy back the land in accordance with 
the provisions of section two, but in the absence of a provision to that 
effect in his deed of gift he shall not have such right. 

Section 4. Land acquired under the provisions of this act shall be 
under the control and management of the state forester, who may, sub- 
ject to the approval of the governor and council, cut and sell trees, wood 
and other produce therefrom. 

Section 5. All moneys received by or payable to the commonwealth 
or any one acting on its behalf under the provisions of this act shall be 
paid into the treasury of the commonwealth. 

Section 6. Land acquired under the provisions of this act, and sub- 
sequently reconveyed under the provisions of sections two or three, shall 
not be exempt from taxation on account of any plantation of trees set 
out or planted while it was held by the commonwealth. 

Section 7. For the purpose of assisting in reforestation a portion, 
not exceeding twenty per cent of the money authorized by this act to 
be expended may be used by the state forester for the distribution at 
not less than cost of seeds and seedlings to land owners who are citizens 
of the commonwealth, under such conditions and restrictions as the state 
forester, subject to the approval of the governor and council, may deem 
advisable. 

Section 8. The state forester shall replant or otherwise manage all 
land acquired by the commonwealth and held by it under the provisions 
of this act, in such manner as will, in his judgment, produce the best 
forest growth both as to practical forestry results and protection of water 
supplies. 

Section 9. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby 
repealed. 

Section 10. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 




REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 19 



FORM OF APPLICATION USED IN ASKING FOR AN EXAMINA- 
TION OF WOODLAND. 

Massachusetts State Forester, 

State House, 

Boston. 

The State Forester is charged with the work of promoting the per- 
petuation, extension and proper management of the forest lands of the 
Commonwealth, both public and private (1904, Chap. 409, Sect. 2). The 
department is open for consultation on forest and shade tree planting, 
woodlot management, wood and lumber markets, prices, the control of 
insects and diseases affecting woodland and shade trees, taxation, and 
all matters pertaining to the care of woodland and ornamental trees. 
In matters pertaining to fruit growing, however, go to your local county 
agricultural agent. Wliile good ad\ace can be given through correspond- 
ence, office interviews and publications, often a personal examination of 
the property or trees, themselves, by one of my technical assistants 
where the advice can be extended on the ground, is the only satisfactory 
method of procedure. The only charge for such service is the traveUng 
expenses of the forester making such examination. If you care to have 
such an examination, fill out the attached apphcation blank and mail to 
our office. A brief description of the land and the problem involved 
will assist us. 

F. W. RANE, 
State Forester. 

Application for an Examination. 

Understanding the condition named above, I desire to have an exami- 
nation made of a tract of land of approximately acres 

located in the town of , State of Massachusetts. 

Signed 

Address 

' Telephone 

Date 191 . 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



000 897 110 9 ^ 



